Strictly Well Done

Because I was working last night, I've only just caught up with the Strictly Come Dancing finale. Somehow I managed to avoid seeing who the winner actually was until I just watched it on playback. In the end my favourite won:

Mr Harry Judd

Since the start of this year's series I've liked Harry, seeing that he could dance from the very start, and hey, he's obviously VERY easy on the eyes.

But, I was also really surprised by how good Chelsee Healey was and all credit to her, I couldn't tell who was actually going to win this year.

There is something special about Harry Judd though. He is one of those gorgeous straight celebrities that, no matter how much I would like "do" him, I wouldn't change him for the world. He seems to be a very special guy, such a great personality. He, along with Ben Cohen, is a guy that I am greatly attracted to but I would never want them to be gay, I love them just the way they are. Perfection.

Well done Harry

World AIDS Day

It's Not Going Away

Stand Up Day

I just thought that I should do my bit to promote Stand-Up Day today, s initiated by my hero Ben Cohen and his Stand Up Foundation.The aim of the day it to introduce people to his Foundation and ultimately to promote the fantastic work that they are doing with tackling homophobia and bullying.
Today your task, should you choose to accept it, is to tell as many people as you can about the Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, but above all, if you encounter bullying or homophobia, tackle it in whatever way is best for you and that situation. Just don't ignore it.

Rugby

I had a good day yesterday. I knew that the Kings Cross Steelers' 1st & 2nd teams were both playing at home. I had hoped to get to their ground for 13:00 when the first match was starting, but I didn't make it until an hour later, when I saw the 2nd team complete their match with a strong win. The 1st team then played on the pitch nearest the clubhouse (much better), so I popped in to get a pint to enjoy in the blazing sun while I watched.
I got chatting to a couple of new people, and spoke briefly to PJ. The 1st team lost, but it was a good match, despite the few punches thrown.
I stayed for a few more drinks in the clubhouse. They had their usual drinking ceremony, where 3 of the players stand on chairs and down a pint of beer with Baileys in it as fast as possible. One of the guys, a newbie, had 2 pints (1 for being a newbie and one for being player of the match). He was the slowest drinker, obviously not used to this type of drinking, and threw up a bit in an empty glass (which was quickly put back in his pint). He then threw up the whole pint into another glass. One of the coaches, and former player (whose name I don't know) grabbed the unfinished pint and drank it all, without realising that it had vomit in it, at least until his mates told him. Disgusting, but funny when he realised.
There were about 4 guys there who I was really attracted to, but I didn't get to talk to any of them. It didn't matter though as I had a good afternoon and topped up my tan in the process.

It wasn't until I got home, at about 19:00, that I realised the money that I had spent was my last few pounds and had been earmarked for paying my Lotto syndicate subs. Oops. Luckily Mike has kindly agreed to pay a tenner for me until I can get some money to him next weekend.

I now have £5 to last me until Friday, including feeding me. I should be able to cope, but it's not a good feeling having to limit myself so much. I need a new job, with more money, it's getting desperate now.

Pamela J Boyce

Pamela J Boyce

1958 - 11th September 2001

Pamela was Assistant Vice-President of Accounting for Carr Futures working on the 92nd Floor of 1 World Trade Center, where she was working when the plane struck.
Known for her direct approach, sometimes thought of as harsh, which came from a sense of practicality. She was a hard worker who had recently graduated with a degree in accounting, for which she studied after work at a local community college.
Outside of work she was known for her love of disco dancing, competing competitively, though she also loved to relax.
Leaving behind her partner Catherine Anello, with whom she shared a home in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, she also left behind a family she loved, evidenced by her serving as Lamaze coach for her sister Desiree, at the birth of her niece Kristina.
Catherine has said that Pamela wasn't afraid to die, saying that she knew she was going to a beautiful place. If only we all had that certainty.

Brandhorst-Gamboa Family

Daniel Brandhorst / Ronald Gamboa / David Gamboa-Brandhorst

On this horrid anniversary the story of the Brandhorst-Gamboa family is both a heart-rending one. Daniel and Ronald met about 13 years prior to 9/11 while living on the US east coast. When Daniel got transferred to a Pricewaterhouse/Cooper office in Los Angeles, the couple moved to facilitate this and with Ronald eventually settling as a manager of The Gap store in Santa Monica. The couple adopted a son, David, through a surrogate mother, looking after her during the pregnancy, birth and afterwards. Initially needing some help as all new parents so, they quickly settled in to become natural parents, Daniel becoming "Papa" and Ronald "Daddy" to the beautiful, bright, energetic and very caring young boy. Daniel was variously described as happy, inspirational, a good friend and generous, but was also the "serious one" in the relationship. Ronald was the joker who could apparently "make a rainy day look happy." Both parents have inspired their co-workers to greater things and are remembered fondly by many of them, some of whom have had their lives changed dramatically by the advice given by the two men. The one thing that can be taken from this terrible day is that in the end the loving family were together.
I would have been honoured to meet the trio who, even though they are gone, stand as examples to show the bigots still out there that a family is what individuals make it and does not need to be formulaic or standardised. Some of the best families are those which are chosen, not moulded. The Brandhorst-Gamboas are fine examples of all that a family can and should be and should be used as role models for gay marriage, gay adoption, happiness and good parenting.

To read an incredibly touching tribute to David Gamboa-Brandhorst please visit here.

Please also visit 2996 Project to read about all the other victims of this terrible day. Every one has a story.

Michele Ann Nelson

Michele Ann Nelson

7th December 1973 – 11th September 2001

Michele Ann Nelson was a benefits specialist, working in the Human Resources department of Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center. She had been there since 2000.
Michele formerly worked at J & W Seligman and County Seat Stores and lived in Valley Stream, New York.

She left behind a younger sister – Monique, and her mother – Mrs Winsome Nelson, along with a vast network of family and friends.

Some words used frequently to describe Michele were:

Beautiful, intelligent, hilarious, thoughtful, caring, punctual, giving, forgiving, positive, & spiritual.

Once again, for me, it is difficult writing an honest tribute to someone who I never got the chance to meet.

The overwhelming impression I get from the tributes that I have seen and the thoughts that have been written, is that of an incredibly caring person who always thought of others. Whether it was giving good advice to someone considering quitting college, or kind words on the death of a co-worker’s relative, she made a difference just by being her own caring self. She is an example that we should all follow.
Michele seemed to make an impact on the lives of everyone that she met. Even brief acquaintances were influenced by her shining example of how to live life. Even now, 8 years on, her example is being spread via her family and friends, and via tributes on the internet that give a multitude of examples of the kindness, generosity and her incredibly caring nature.
Excelling in her studies at school, graduating from Pennsylvania State University, then Baruch College of the City, Michele was constantly trying to improve her skills, shown also by her attendance of New York Restaurant School, from which she posthumously graduated in December ‘01.

I think that we can all learn from the example that Michele set during her brief life. She had a mantra that she would repeat three times a day:

"This is the day the Lord had made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Please take time to read tributes left to Michele and her family at Legacy.com and at the memorial site set up by Cantor Fitzgerald. And don't forget all the other victims of that terrible day, all of whom will be paid tribute to via Project 2996.

Michael John Cahill

Michael John Cahill

I originally honoured Michael John Cahill in 2006 for the Project: 2996 tribute and have been granted the honour once again. As before, I hope this tribute honours him as much he deserves. Grief is such a personal thing it affects us all in different ways. Grief can affect you for people you do not know as well as those you do. I have experienced a fair amount of loss in my life, but you can never truly equate your loss with that of someone else. It is also difficult to pay tribute to someone you didn’t know and never met. All you can do is research and hope you get all the facts straight.
Michael John Cahill was in Tower 1 of the World Trade Centre, based on the 99th floor. This floor was in the upper area of where the first plane hit the tower.
I can’t even begin to imagine what Colleen, his wife, must have been thinking when she first heard the news and saw the pictures.
Michael was 37 years old and, from what I can tell, a REAL family man. He had a wife he loved and two young kids who he loved spending time with and wanted to be a good role model for. To this end he rejoined his high school cross country running team as its captain, as he believed that sports were important in their development.
Michael worked hard, often out of his house for more than 12 hours and regularly taking work home with him, but his family knew that it was all for them. Colleen, his wife said, "We knew we came first. He would always make a point to tell me, 'I know it's hard for you being home with the kids,' so he would always make time to be with them so I could take a break."
Even his sister, Denise Troise, was amazed at her brother’s devotion to his family, saying “I can’t even imagine a more dedicated father and husband.”
He was known for his weekend barbecues which usually brought together his close-knit family, neighbours and friends.

Posthumously, Michael has been awarded a promotion to Managing Director by his firm, Marsh & McLennan. He has also been awarded the Dean Award from St John’s University Law School, from which he graduated in 1991.
But, possibly the most telling award made to this loving family man is the bench and plaque placed in his East Williston village green by his friends and neighbours, and the fact that around 1000 friends attended the memorial mass at St Aidan’s Roman Catholic Church in Williston Park.
Jim & Evelyn be proud of your son, you must have done good raising him.
Colleen be proud of your husband, you picked a good one. One who loved you enough to spend time away from you to provide the things you needed and deserved.
Connor & Fiona, be proud of your daddy. He was a good man. Ask your family about him. Find out all that you can and fix him in your mind, that way, he will always be with you.

You will never forget.
We will never forget.
Michael John Cahill

Please don't forget to check out Project 2996 for all the other tributes that have been made today to honour those who died on that awful day.

Waleska Martinez-Rivera

Waleska Martinez-Rivera

Waleska Martinez-Rivera was born in Puerto Rico. She studied computer science and business at the University of Puerto Rico where she graduated first in her class in 1986 before moving on to teaching computer science at two universities. In 1987 she moved to New York and was hired the following year by the US Census Bureau’s regional office, where she was subsequently promoted to supervisory computer specialist recruiting and training other computer specialists. Highly praised by her boss there, Waleska was in 1997 awarded a bronze medal by the Census Bureau for her dedication.

Her work demeanour has been described as friendly but reserved. Outside of work she, without doubt, knew how to enjoy herself, enjoying movies, music, sport, the theatre and entertaining.

She left behind her “longtime partner” Angela Lopez, whose Madonna “Drowned World” baseball cap she had borrowed on the morning she boarded Flight 93, that fateful morning on her way to a conference in San Francisco.

Tuesday Morning

Riot Dream

I don't remember much about it, but I had a dream last night. I was living at home with my mum, though it was in a flat that I've never actually seen before. I returned home after a riot (a la the London riots of last month) to find that the flat had been broken into and ransacked, with everything of value having been stolen and my mum sitting on the floor in the middle of the rubble.
I woke up to a sense of foreboding, thinking for a second that my home had been ransacked too. Luckily it hadn't.

I got up, showered and got myself ready to watch the first England match in this year's Rugby World Cup. Unfortunately it wasn't an entertaining one, for the most-part. I had caught the previous match (France v Japan) and that proved to be much more entertaining.

Dreams

I forgot to blog yesterday about a dream that I had on Thursday night. I was on a team of either police or government agents working in the US. On the team with me were Brad Pitt, Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter from Stargate SG1) and another famous actor (though I forget who now).

We were in or near an open air storm drain (like the one used in the car race in Grease) when it flooded very quickly. We were all caught in the water but most of us were rescued. Unfortunately Amanda literally disappeared into thin air and we were unable to find her.

Somehow we eventually discovered that she had been transported back in time to an earlier point in her lift, forcing her to live her life in a continual loop. Her "teleportation" was somehow linked to the "Shazam" lightning symbol.

Pride Torbay 2011

I got back from my weekend in Torquay for Pride Torbay at about 14:30 this afternoon. I've been tidying up and sorting my stuff out since. I had a good time, mostly, though the parties at Key West, where we were staying, were a bit of a let down.
Richard drove us down on Friday and we got there in the early afternoon after making fairly good time. The sun was out and so we immediately sat down by the pool and enjoyed the sun. I even went for a dip straight away.

It was beautiful. It is a shame the other men staying there were not also beautiful. There was only one nice looking guy staying in the whole place, and he had a boyfriend (though it didn't stop us having a kiss a couple of times, it could have gone further one night, but I got bored when he explained "the rules" of their relationship). Richard and I had arranged to go on The Show Boat, a party on a boat that goes along the coast and back for about 3 hours. Paul decided to join us at the last minute and was glad that he did. It started off a bit dull, but in the end was a really good laugh, and the coastal views, being Devon, were stunning. No one died either, despite the fact that the steep staircase down to the toilets was right on the "dancefloor" of the boat. We went to the Meadfoot Inn on the way back where they had a karaoke night (which was a bit naff), then went back to the hotel for a few more drinks. I didn't get much sleep as Paul is a really consistent snorer and one of my ear plugs came out and I couldn't find it again until the morning. On Saturday we went to the Party in the Park once Terry had arrived. It was also a bit lame to start off with, but the company (including Terry, from our Barcelona holiday, Alexis and Mimsy) made it work in the end. Most of the acts were dire, but the Sundaes were good, the Boy George Experience was okay and Joe McElderry was good too (we had seen the poor lad as we made our way to the park trying to get a taxi, they hadn't even arranged a car for him). Oh, and Terry took, what has to be the best photo of the whole Pride event:

On the way back we went to the Meadfoot Inn again, and they had another karaoke night, which was worse than the night before. We then went back to the hotel, hoping that it would be a busy night as the downstairs club was open. We went down there at just after midnight. To me it stank of urine and it was just the same people that had been in the hotel all the time. Richard and Paul were talking to a couple of guys they'd met when they'd been smoking outside the Meadfoot the night before. They were both quite sexy, but the one I was introduced to weirded me out a bit. I told him about the urine smell when we arrived and all he could say was, "Did it make your cock twitch?" I lost interest there and then. I was also bored at not having any, non-freaky, hotties to look at so I went to bed. On Sunday we were intending to stay at the hotel for their BBQ & Pool Party, but, once again, the only people who turned up were the ones who'd been in the hotel all along, probably because you have to be a member to get into the hotel (their way of keeping women out, so I've been told). I was getting fed up of just having them to talk to, so we all eventually went to the Cliff House Hotel for their party instead. It wasn't much better but there were more people there, though there were sights like this unfortunately. One drink in the Meadfoot afterwards, where they were having yet another karaoke party (ENOUGH ALREADY), was enough to send us back to the hotel. I went up to the room very early and tried to sleep from about 23:00, but couldn't. I was about to give up and go back downstairs to join the others when Paul came up saying there was no one left down there. I eventually got to sleep.
The drive home today was a struggle, as both Richard and I were tired and the sun was beating into the car constantly, but we made even better time than the drive there.
I was glad to be home though, and am just about to go to the gym to make up for my, almost exclusively, carbohydrate diet this weekend (and maybe get some cock that I missed out on while I was there!).